The Trial
by Nnoitra-Szayel
Summary: Lucius had been found guilty and immediately sentenced to the dementor's kiss, while Narcissa had been cleared of all charges because she had lied to Voldemort about Harry Potter being dead. Draco was unsure which parent he would be joining.


_A/N: This is an entry for the contest on deviantart for the #HarryPotter-FanGroup club with the prompt of beginnings and endings. Enjoy :)_

The Trial

Draco Malfoy sat in the hard backed chair in the waiting room. On the other side of the only door to this room was the entire Wizengamot, the Minister of Magic, his mother, and all of the people who had come to testify against him, on his behalf, or simply just to watch. Such trials were happening everyday. All of those people who had served the Dark Lord were being put to trial. Both of his parents had already gone through theirs; Lucius had been found guilty and immediately sentenced to the dementor's kiss, while Narcissa had been cleared of all charges because she had lied to Voldemort about Harry Potter being dead. Draco was unsure which parent he would be joining.

Narcissa was sure that Draco would be joining her, because Harry had shown up on his behalf and told everyone how when Harry had been captured by the Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor, Draco failed to identify him as Harry. He also brought up the time in the Room of Requirement during the final battle when Draco told Crabbe and Goyle not to kill Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Personally, Draco was unsure if either of those things would make a difference. Against him, he had the cursing of Katie Bell, the poisoning of Ron Weasley, the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore, letting all of those Death Eaters into Hogwarts during his sixth year of school, and the sheer fact that he had the Dark Mark on his arm. He didn't think things were looking up for him.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. How long had he been sitting here? How much longer could they possibly discuss his fate like he was some sort of wild animal that needed to be put down? The fact that so many other Death Eaters had sat here before him was overwhelming. How many of them had been cleared of all charges? Draco only knew of one for sure.

Draco shivered as he remembered how he had been there with his mother when the soul was sucked from his father's body by the dementors. It wasn't what he wanted to happen to him. Who would hold his mother while she cried, if he was the one suffering a fate worse than death? No one. No one would be there with her. She would be alone, the last of the Malfoys. Their line would end with her. She always talked about how he hoped Draco would have a daughter, because the family jewels needed someone to go to, and she hated to see them go to someone who only married into the family. The young Malfoy let out a choked breath. Narcissa might not ever have anyone to pass the family jewels onto, and while it seemed stupid and shallow given everything else that was at stake here, the thought of his mother alone in the Manor was not a pleasant one. One could go crazy in there, and he had a feeling that she would spend her time in the portrait gallery where Lucius' painting was. Where one of Draco would go if he died.

The door opened to reveal a wizard standing in the doorway. "Mr. Malfoy, you may come back in and receive your verdict."

Draco stood and walked back into the court room. Every step he took felt like he was walking closer to his death even though he could be cleared of all charges. He took his place in the centre of the room, facing the Minister of Magic. He was well aware that everyone in the room was looking at him.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy…" the Minister began, "you are hereby cleared of all charges."

Draco let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He wasn't going to die and he wasn't going to lose his soul. He was going to go back to the Manor with his mother. He would be able to get a job, a wife, and have children.

He was free to restart his life in the world that no longer contained Lord Voldemort, and that was exactly what he was going to do.


End file.
